Nutrition For The Healthy Child

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meera Boghani ◽  
Mollie Studley

Preschool and school-age children are children ages 3 to 6 and 7 to 12 years, respectively. This life stage is characterized by a period of slower growth velocity compared with infancy, which precedes it, and adolescence, which follows it. During the early school years, children continue to develop and refine feeding skills, expand their food choices, and learn to eat a variety of flavors and textures. Parents and other caregivers control the type of foods and the environment in which the foods are presented, often influencing eating habits and behaviors later in life. A healthy diet is needed not only to maximize the child’s growth but also to prevent chronic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and obesity. When assessing a child’s nutrition, emphasis should be placed on not just weight and body mass index but also assessing intake of macro- and micronutrients from foods. A healthy diet should include a variety of food groups, with emphasis on whole foods over processed foods. Recently developed tools such as MyPlate and the Dietary Guidelines help American families move toward a healthful diet to help minimize the risk of chronic diseases. This review contains 3 figures, 7 tables and 78 references Key words: childhood obesity, developmental disability, energy needs of children, evaluation of growth charts, failure to thrive, food allergy, nutrition-focused physical findings, nutritional status, SoFAS

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 22-24
Author(s):  
Darlene Zimmerman

ABSTRACT The 2015 – 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans provides guidance for choosing a healthy diet. There is a focus on preventing and alleviating the effects of diet-related chronic diseases. These include obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and stroke, among others. This article briefly reviews the primary guideline items that can be used to teach patients with respect to improving their diet. Clinical exercise physiologists who work with patients with chronic disease can use these guidelines for general discussions regarding a heart-healthy diet.


2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Victoria Miller ◽  
Patrick Webb ◽  
Renata Micha ◽  
Dariush Mozaffarian

Abstract Objectives Meeting most of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs) will require a strong focus on tackling all forms of malnutrition─ addressing maternal and child health (MCH) as well as diet-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Yet, the optimal metrics to define a healthy diet remain unclear. Our aim was to comprehensively review diet metrics and assess the evidence on each metric's association with MCH and NCDs. Methods Using comprehensive searches and expert discussions, we identified metrics that i) are used in ≥3 countries to link diet to health, ii) quantify the number of foods/food groups consumed and/or iii) quantify recommended nutrient intakes. We reviewed and summarized each metric's development, components and scoring. For each identified metric, we systematically searched PubMed to identify meta-analyses or narrative reviews evaluating these metrics with nutrient adequacy and health outcomes. We assessed validity by grading the number of studies included and the consistency of the diet metric-disease relationship. Results We identified 6 MCH, 13 NCD and 0 MCH/NCD metrics. Most were developed for describing adherence to dietary guidelines or patterns, and others were developed for predicting micronutrient adequacy. On average, the metrics included 14 food groups/nutrients (range 4–45), with 10 food-group only metrics and 0 nutrient-only metrics. The most frequent metric components were grains/roots/tubers, fruits and vegetables. We identified 16 meta-analyses and 14 narrative reviews representing 102 metric-disease relationships (98 metric-NCD and 4 metric-MCH relationships, respectively). We found 5 metrics that have been consistently validated in meta-analyses and narrative reviews for NCDs, 1 metric with limited evidence for MCH, but 0 metrics for both. Of the metrics, the Alternative Healthy Eating Index (aHEI), Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH), Healthy Eating Index (HEI), and Mediterranean Diet Score (MED) were most commonly validated, especially for all-cause mortality and cardiovascular disease (Figure 1). Conclusions Few diet metrics have been used in multiple countries to define a healthy diet. This suggests a serious gap in global analyses of diet quality relating to malnutrition in all its forms, which hinders effective policy action. Funding Sources Gates Foundation. Supporting Tables, Images and/or Graphs


2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S939-S939
Author(s):  
Yeon Jin Choi ◽  
Jennifer A Ailshire ◽  
Eileen Crimmins

Abstract A suboptimal diet and nutritional deficiency are among the leading causes of chronic diseases (e.g., cardiovascular diseases, metabolic syndrome, cancer, and osteoporosis), morbidity, and mortality. The objective of this study is to assess dietary intake and nutritional risk among older Americans. The dietary intake of 15 food and nutrients that are closely associated with the risk of poor health was assessed based on the dietary guidelines and nutritional goals for older Americans using a nationally representative sample of older adults (N=7,737) in the Health and Retirement Study Health Care and Nutrition Survey. The average consumption of most food and nutrients was out of the optimal range. For example, older men and women consumed 1.32-1.35 cups of dairy products and 1.23-1.29 ounces of whole grains, which is less than half of the suggested amount. The average consumption of sodium, on the other hand, was over 12 times greater than suggested dietary recommendation for older men and about 10 times greater for older women. The nutritional risk index (range: 0–15) was created by summing the number of dietary risk factors (not meeting the dietary guidelines and nutritional goals), the index scores for older men and older women were 11.05 (SD=2.31) and 10.09 (SD=2.60) respectively, suggesting the high level of nutritional risk. A healthy diet should be encouraged to prevent chronic diseases and improve the health of older adults. Nutritional education may be an effective way to promote a healthy diet.


2017 ◽  
Vol 20 (13) ◽  
pp. 2277-2288 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edye M Kuyper ◽  
Reina Engle-Stone ◽  
Joanne E Arsenault ◽  
Mary Arimond ◽  
Katherine P Adams ◽  
...  

AbstractObjectiveDietary diversity, and in particular consumption of nutrient-rich foods including fruits, vegetables, nuts, beans and animal-source foods, is linked to greater nutrient adequacy. We developed a ‘dietary gap assessment’ to evaluate the degree to which a nation’s food supply could support healthy diets at the population level.Design/SettingIn the absence of global food-based dietary guidelines, we selected the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet as an example because there is evidence it prevents diet-related chronic disease and supports adequate micronutrient intakes. We used the DASH guidelines to shape a hypothetical ‘healthy’ diet for the test country of Cameroon. Food availability was estimated using FAO Food Balance Sheet data on country-level food supply. For each of the seven food groups in the ‘healthy’ diet, we calculated the difference between the estimated national supply (in kcal, edible portion only) and the target amounts.ResultsIn Cameroon, dairy and other animal-source foods were not adequately available to meet healthy diet recommendations: the deficit was −365 kcal (–1527 kJ)/capita per d for dairy products and −185 kcal (–774 kJ)/capita per d for meat, poultry, fish and eggs. Adequacy of fruits and vegetables depended on food group categorization. When tubers and plantains were categorized as vegetables and fruits, respectively, supply nearly met recommendations. Categorizing tubers and plantains as starchy staples resulted in pronounced supply shortfalls: −109 kcal (–457 kJ)/capita per d for fruits and −94 kcal (–393 kJ)/capita per d for vegetables.ConclusionsThe dietary gap assessment illustrates an approach for better understanding how food supply patterns need to change to achieve healthier dietary patterns.


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 910-911
Author(s):  
Qun Le ◽  
XinQi Dong

Abstract Studies have demonstrated that healthy dietary patterns are related to diminished stress. However, the potential moderation role of acculturation on dietary patterns and stress is unclear among the those whose eating habits are impacted by immigration. The aim of this study is to explore the moderation role of acculturation on dietary patterns and stress among Chinese elder immigrants in the United States. Data were conducted from the PINE Study with 3053 Chinese adults aged over 60 years in the Great Chicago area. Dietary patterns were measured via a 48-items Food-frequency questionnaire with frequency and size weighted. Items were identified into different food groups based on Dietary Guidelines. Acculturation was assessed by a 12-item short-scale among the population. Stress was measured via a 10-item Perceived Stress Scale with cutoff 14 indicating either low or high stress. Multiple logistic regression was used to examine the moderation effects on the associations with demographic characteristics, medical comorbidities, and BMI adjusted. After controlling covariates, one unit increasing in fruit consumption (OR: 0.61 (95%CI: 0.52 -0.72)) or coffee (OR: 0.49 (95%CI: 0.36 - 0.67)) was associated with lower odds of stress. However, after adding acculturation as an interaction term, the negative relationship between fruit or coffee consumption with stress was moderated by a higher level of acculturation (fruit: OR: 1.05 (95%CI: 1.02 - 1.08), coffee: OR: 1.05 (95%CI: 1.01 - 1.09) respectively). The associations between dietary patterns and stress may differentiate based on acculturation level among the elder immigrants. Further longitudinal studies should investigate potential causality.


Nutrients ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 334 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hellas Cena ◽  
Philip C. Calder

The definition of what constitutes a healthy diet is continually shifting to reflect the evolving understanding of the roles that different foods, essential nutrients, and other food components play in health and disease. A large and growing body of evidence supports that intake of certain types of nutrients, specific food groups, or overarching dietary patterns positively influences health and promotes the prevention of common non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Greater consumption of health-promoting foods and limited intake of unhealthier options are intrinsic to the eating habits of certain regional diets such as the Mediterranean diet or have been constructed as part of dietary patterns designed to reduce disease risk, such as the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) or Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) diets. In comparison with a more traditional Western diet, these healthier alternatives are higher in plant-based foods, including fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, seeds, and nuts and lower in animal-based foods, particularly fatty and processed meats. To better understand the current concept of a “healthy diet,” this review describes the features and supporting clinical and epidemiologic data for diets that have been shown to prevent disease and/or positively influence health. In total, evidence from epidemiological studies and clinical trials indicates that these types of dietary patterns reduce risks of NCDs including cardiovascular disease and cancer.


2021 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
pp. 12-18
Author(s):  
Jiaqi Li ◽  
Jiaxin Lai

Dietary patterns and eating habits can have a great influence on the overall health of specific regions. By looking back to the history of Turkey and how the dietary patterns evolve in Turkish people, it is easier to discuss the nutrition status of the Turkish people in the current period, understand the culture in Turkey, and can better evaluate what to be done to improve the overall diet quality and prevent chronic diseases. The Turkish diet is mostly similar throughout the whole country, but there are unique characteristics for each region. When analysing the evolution of the Turkish diet, it is easier to split into three time periods, which are the Seljuks (11-13th centuries), the Ottomans (the end of the 13th centuries-1922), and the modern Republic of Turkey (1923-now). Moreover, the analysis of Turkey’s Dietary guidelines provides an insight into the shortcomings of the current Turkish diet and the recommendations for people to improve overall health. The unhealthy, mal-nutritious, and unbalanced diet may increase the death rate by causing many chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases and cancer. The difference in daily nutrition intake between the wealthiest and poorest people of Turkey is also important to see the dietary culture in Turkey.


2016 ◽  
Vol 116 (3) ◽  
pp. 559-566 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sonja Mötteli ◽  
Carmen Keller ◽  
Michael Siegrist ◽  
Jana Barbey ◽  
Tamara Bucher

AbstractLittle is known about laypeople’s practical understanding of a healthy diet, although this is important to successfully promote healthy eating. The present study is the first to experimentally examine how consumers define healthy and balanced food choices for an entire day compared with normal choices and compared with dietary guidelines. We used an extensive fake food buffet (FFB) with 179 foods commonly consumed in the Swiss diet. The FFB is a validated method to investigate food choice behaviour in a well-controlled laboratory setting. People from the general population in Switzerland (n 187; 51·9 % females), aged between 18 and 65 years, were randomly assigned to one of two conditions. In the control group, the participants were instructed to serve themselves foods they would eat on a normal day, whereas in the ‘healthy’ group they were instructed to choose foods representing a healthy diet. Participants chose significantly more healthy foods, with 4·5 g more dietary fibre, 2 % more protein and 2 % less SFA in the ‘healthy’ group compared with the control group. However, in both experimental conditions, participants served themselves foods containing twice as much sugar and salt than recommended by dietary guidelines. The results suggest that laypeople lack knowledge about the recommended portion sizes and the amounts of critical nutrients in processed food, which has important implications for communicating dietary guidelines. Furthermore, the energy of the food served was substantially correlated with the energy needs of the participants, demonstrating the potential of the fake food buffet method.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Audrius Dėdelė ◽  
Žydrūnė Bartkutė ◽  
Yevheniia Chebotarova ◽  
Auksė Miškinytė

A healthy and balanced diet is an important factor contributing to overall health and wellness. The aim of this study was to develop a Healthy Diet Index (HDI) score and assess its association with various chronic diseases and lifestyle risk factors. A cross-sectional survey included 1,111 adults aged 18 years and older. Information on dietary habits was collected using a questionnaire. Additional demographic, socioeconomic and lifestyle risk factors data were also collected. Sixteen food groups were used to develop the HDI score for the residents of Kaunas city, Lithuania based on the national recommendations, World Health Organization (WHO) and other guidance on a healthy diet. We used logistic regression models to assess the association of the HDI score with chronic diseases, obesity and lifestyle risk factors. We found that both males and females were lacking the optimal consumption of the base components of a healthy diet–fruits and vegetables, starchy carbohydrates, and proteins. We also observed significant associations between the HDI score and several outcomes such as hypertension, arrhythmia, physical activity, and obesity. The suggested HDI score could serve as a valuable tool in assessing and improving dietary habits beneficial for promoting health and preventing many diseases.


AGRICA ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-68
Author(s):  
Sri Wahyuni ◽  
Murdaningsih Murdaningsih

The goal of this research was to identify the dryland cereal crop seed plasma types growing around Kelimutu National Park, located in Ende district on the island of Flores in Indonesia, by observing crop morphology and cultivation techniques.  Cereal crops represent the largest source of carbohydrates in the regional diet in comparison to other food groups in this area where dry land makes up 80% of the total available land.  It is estimated that the Ende district of Flores has adequate potential to produce dryland cereal as a staple food crop.  Previous studies have shown that farmer preference is shifting towards the cultivation of crops with a higher economic value which threatens the existence of some cereal crops.  Concurrently, shifts in eating habits have made rice a staple food in this region, leading to increased consumption and threatening the existence of other cereal crops.  Furthermore, outsiders tend to think of areas like Flores as being impoverished, with frequent problems with food security. Currently, there is a lack of knowledge within the youth population about the types of foods, especially cereals, which are rich in nutrients and their use in rituals.  This research aims to address this gap by collecting information on cereal crops in and around Kelimutu National Park for dissemination through educational and cultural tours. This study was conducted in the eastern subdistrict of Ndona, Flores and Wolojita Detusoko between June and December 2011.  Study findings identified 5 main cereal crops: paddy fields (consisting of: Are Rumba, Are Sela, Are Obo, Are Laka, Amera, Eko Ndale, Kea Ria, Are Mera, Are Kea Mboa, Eko Ena), corn (consisting of Java Roga, Nggela Java, Java, Keo Ri’a), sorghum (consisting of mera Lolo, Lolo Mite and Lolo Telo Leko), barley (consisting of Mera and Wete Wete Bara) and millet (consisting of Ke’o Mite and Ke’o).  Of the five types of cereal crops identified, one type (Pega, a subspecies of barley with a sorghum-like panicle) is not found in four of the districts.  It was found that corn, classified as a native plant, is strengthened through cultivation by re-seeding.  Study results illustrated that corn in this area is of reduced genetic quality, as illustrated by the fact that 3-4 cobs did not develop.  Alternatively, the Ke’o Bara strain of barley has a morphology and panicle strand number (270-300) that suggest that this species is typical of this region.


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